Grooming kid to be college ready

It is surprising how youngsters are suddenly goaded into a mad race against time
and competition, toward top colleges when they reach high school, but are left entirely
unaware of this future pursuit while they are in primary school.

A child who begins her preparation early would have an edge over her peers in terms
of time that she can give to her preparation and the ease with which she can go
about her preparation. In fact, this could make the whole experience of selecting
the right college and course, then working towards gaining admission, an enjoyable
and exciting experience.

Of course, it is not advisable to order your child to select which subject she would
major in, while she is yet to reach her teens, but you could be leading her along
baby-steps by exposing her to the concept of colleges, helping her understand their
importance and gradually helping her accept college as a goal for her, which she
can successfully conquer.

Some pointers for grooming young ones towards becoming college ready when the time
comes:

Gradually adding college to the discussion

While classroom is for studies, teachers should look for opportunities to talk with
students about colleges. The discussion needn't be about the nitty-gritty of college
life, but instead, something simple such as about the college the teacher attended,
her major and her reasons for pursuing it. Children need to be excited and have
their interests piqued about colleges. The earlier this is done, the more fruitful,
enjoyable and healthier will be the process of preparation for college admission.

Exposing kids to college opportunities

Too often pressures of time and competition lead youngsters to begin dreading the
college admission process. The fact that college is a way

to greater opportunities in life gets entirely left out of their purview, thus leading
to unnecessary resentment. To avoid such a situation, it is necessary that students
be sufficiently informed and excited about the opportunities that the right college
education can open up for them. Sufficiently motivated kid will be happy to bring
forth the hard work needed to achieve their goals.

Explaining with example

While abstract concepts would be lost upon kids, it would be more effective to go
for real life examples to elaborate the importance of college. Parents and teachers
must pick up topics that capture children’s fancy, and use those to discuss how
college helps in achieving ones dreams. For example, parents may talk about dinosaur
bones, and explain how paleontologists who dig up these bones went to college to
learn requisite skills. In this manner, a college degree can be made to seem cool,
thanks to the awesome opportunities it can open up for them.

Take kids on campus visits

A guided tour of a lovely campus, with lush grass, grand looking buildings and classrooms
buzzing with activity, while a college staff member talks about interesting opportunities
available at campus, can help capture a kid's imagination. Later, there can be a
discussion about what the child saw and heard at the campus and further discussion
about what she liked the most over there and what activities she would like to pursue
there in the future.

Kids would be much more open to your opinions at a tender age than during a phase
of teenage rebellion or when they have their own opinions formed about the same.
Help them dream since early-on and they will automatically bring forth the hard
work required to pursue their college ambitions.